Orlando Magic face slew of issues during final stretch of season

To many observers, it appears that the Magic are just playing out the string and are eager to get the season over with as soon as possible.

In reality, however, the team faces some significant issues from now until the season finale on April 16.

Here's a look at those issues.

To tank or not to tank?The Magic (19-44) began Friday with the third-worst record in the NBA.

If the standings hold, the Magic would have a 15.6 percent chance of winning the 2014 NBA Draft Lottery on May 20.

But there's a potential problem on the horizon for Orlando. On Friday morning, the Magic had just one fewer win than the Boston Celtics and just two fewer wins than the Los Angeles Lakers and the Utah Jazz. There's a real chance in the weeks ahead that the Magic will overtake the Celtics, Lakers and Jazz in the standings.

So should the Magic tank the rest of their season by being extraordinarily cautious when players have even minor injuries?

Coaches and players want to win games, and holding out players could send the wrong message for the franchise as it attempts to instill a winning culture.

But at the same time, an extra win here and there could do the Magic long-term damage if it hurts the team's draft chances and prevents the franchise from selecting a future All-Star in June.

Oladipo's futureRookie Victor Oladipo has fulfilled — and perhaps surpassed — all expectations this season, even as he has played point guard for the first time in his career.

The Magic have a decision to make.

Will Oladipo continue to play point guard next season? Or will the team return him to shooting guard for the majority of the time?

Over the next 19 games, team officials likely will keep gauging Oladipo's progress running the Magic's offense.

From mid-July through Oct. 31, the Magic will be permitted to reach contract extensions with Vucevic and Harris.

That's one reason why the final 19 games are critical for Vucevic and Harris. They need to offer more proof that they're improving and are worthy of receiving long-term contracts.

Helping NicholsonPower forward Andrew Nicholson was the Magic's first-round pick in 2012, and as a rookie he displayed a polished array of low-post moves.

But now Nicholson is mired in a severe slump that has lasted almost three months.

Since Dec. 12, he has made just 30.3 percent of his shot attempts.

That's largely a byproduct of Nicholson attempting too many 3-pointers and drifting away from the low post, where he's most effective.

Nicholson's low-post skills haven't vanished permanently. But he needs to get back to being a threat on offense, if only to preserve his confidence and to send him into a key offseason on a positive note.

Harkless' growthIt's easy to forget that small forward Maurice Harkless is only 20 years old.

Of all the players on Orlando's roster, perhaps he has the most room for growth.

The frustrating thing with Harkless' game is that his assertiveness sometimes declines. Part of that is a function of his youth; he's sometimes too deferential to older and more established players.

But in the Magic's last five games, he's displayed a consistent level of aggressiveness, and he's averaged 14.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game.

Magic officials would love to see that trend continue.

jbrobbins@tribune.com. Read his blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/magicblog and follow him on Twitter at @JoshuaBRobbins.